Jacquelyn D. Kirkland enjoys taking on cooking challenges and exploring new recipes. An admirer of Cajun cuisine, Jacquelyn D. Kirkland has prepared Paul Prudhomme’s gumbo. Not only is the dish one of her favorites, the gumbo also introduced her to red roux.
Primarily used as a thickening agent for sauces and soups, a roux has a nutty flavor, which is created by cooking flour with oil or butter. Unlike adding cornstarch, cooking the flour prior to its inclusion in a dish removes the raw flavor while maintaining its ability to thicken and add richness to a meal. There are four types of roux: white, blond, brown, and dark. Darker shades of roux possess more flavors, but have reduced thickening capability. Brown and dark roux are traditionally used in Cajun cuisine, and its dark color, which can develop a red tint, is achieved by an extended cooking period of 30 minutes or more. Dishes that may require a darker roux include gumbo and stews. A blond roux take approximately 20 minutes to create and is used to thicken stock in soups and sauces. Of the four types, the blond roux is most commonly used because of its rich and nutty flavor as well as its power to thicken. White roux is traditionally added to milk-based dishes, like New England clam chowder and macaroni and cheese. Possessing the strongest ability to thicken liquids, a white roux takes only five minutes to create. Comments are closed.
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December 2016
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